"We will get through it, but this is terrible for this community and these families," said Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy.

Twenty elementary school children and six adults were killed at the school by a man whose mother worked as a teacher's aide at the school, police said. Officers found the mother's body in her home five miles away.

Investigators said Lanza drove his mother's car to the school and started his shooting rampage before killing himself inside the school.

"It's a horrific scene," said Lt. J. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police. "Between our mutual experiences, we've never seen anything like this. It's as heart-wrenching for us as it is for the families."

Parents rushed to the school as news spread through the community. Their anguished faces revealed more than words could tell. First it was the terror of not knowing, and then, for some, relief.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, spilled out onto the lawn of the Catholic church, while Christmas lights twinkled with cheer during a vigil Friday night. Candles, marking each life lost, flickered in the cold night air as a mournful silence enveloped the crowd.

“I bet a lot of them had their Christmas gifts under the tree, which they are not going to be able to open because of this evil monster," said Nola Thomas of Waterbury.